Jedi Emotions

Mark S · Post by **Mark S** » 2005-05-08 01:16pm

I have been reading in a few of the threads, people arguing that the Jedi of the Old Republic repressed their emotions and taught that emotions were bad and lead to the dark side. Where exactly is this the case in the movies? Fear, anger, agression, those are the path to the dark side. There is nothing said about all emotion being bad. Infact, we see Jedi of all ranks showing all kinds of emotion. We've seen Obi Wan express joy, concern, sadness, annoyance (a lot) and anxiety to name a few. Yoda jokes and laughs when it serves his purpose, and is concerned about others wellbeing. Even Qui-Gon Ginn, the most centered Jedi in the series is seen to be happy now and then and gets an air of wistful sadness when he talks about Jedi dying. Hell, Kit Fisto had a stupid grin through the whole battle on Geonosis. Where are these emotionless 'Vulcan' Jedi?

They even DO show fear and anger from time to time but the skilled Jedi will see this, get a hold of himself, control it and try to regain his calm.

Being calm and serene and at peace is not the same thing as repressing your emotions. Looking at your feelings, searching them and trying to undrestand them before you act is not the same thing as repressing them. Infact the whole idea for Jedi repressing their emotions is obsurd considering one of their basic tenents is searching and trusting your feelings. How can you trust them when you're trying to run from them?

Now, I know that 'Knights of the Old Republic' has some line in it saying, "There is no emotion, only the Force" blah, blah blah. Quite frankly, that is contradicted in the movies and makes no sense with the way the Jedi act and use their feelings. The only good I can see of it is as a mantra for calming the mind that people would use when they don't fully understand the nature of their training.

They must be calm and at peace because emotion in the face of stress clouds judgement. They are beings of great power and they must be very wary of why and how they are using that power. To act on emotion without understanding why, with that kind of power, can have grave consequences. That does not mean that their ultimate goal is the elimination of those feelings, only an understanding of and complete control of them. Control is not repression. Controlling emotion is something we all start learning when we are small children.

Half their job in negotiation is understanding the motives and feelings of other people for God's sake. How are they doing this when they're repressing their own emtions instead of dealing with them? How can you understand someone else when you don't allow yourself to experience the same thing? You can't. Yet they do all the time.

I ask again. What makes people think that the Jedi are repressing their emotions instead of controlling them? If this is the case, then we have a lot of poor Jedi. Like all of them... Accept maybe Windu. The one smile that guy's ever cracked looked so fake I think Yoda had a gun to his crotch forcing him to do it.

Lord Revan · Post by **Lord Revan** » 2005-05-08 02:16pm

For what I heard it's more complex then "Jedi have no emotions", but one thing is sure, Jedi don't have healthy emotial life.

Knife · Post by **Knife** » 2005-05-08 02:24pm

I would assume it stems from the silly Jedi Code; there is not emotion, there is peace; thingy. That and the 'no attachment' introduced in AotC's.

Knife · Post by **Knife** » 2005-05-08 02:25pm

Ghetto edit:

Which is silly since the first Star Wars movie had Jedi *even wannabe's* stretch out with their feelings.

McC · Post by **McC** » 2005-05-08 02:58pm

The Jedi/Sith dichotomy is one of how your emotions influence your actions. The Jedi do not allow their passions to guide their decisions, whereas the Sith do. That's pretty much the difference.

Mark S · Post by **Mark S** » 2005-05-09 01:12pm

I think one of Anakin's main problems was that he was indeed trying to repress his emotions instead of controlling them and dealing with them. I don't think he got the difference. I think he saw all the other Jedi as very calm and collected and just didn't get how they were doing it. That made the lure of the dark side even greater because he could finally let it all out. This would be partly Obi Wan's fault in his teaching but like I said, I really don't think Anakin 'got' that one was different from the other.

dworkin · Post by **dworkin** » 2005-05-09 05:02pm

It's not emotions, it's using them to amplify the force. Watch Obi-Wan fight Maul before and after Qui-Gon gets killed. Or Luke vs Vader before and after Vader finds out about his daughter.

Ravengrim · Post by **Ravengrim** » 2005-05-09 05:05pm

I think it is a rule of necessity rather than choice. Obviously those feeling are not 'bad' and they never state that they are, but they are the path to the dark side. Possibly a Jedi must keep those certain emotions in check because the Dark side will actually begin to draw you in through them. Maybe they resonate off of each other and cause a snowball effect which would not happen if they didn't manipulate the Force at all. Remember that use of the Force involves 'letting go' and letting the Force flow through you. Letting go when you are pissed off or panicking would probably be a recipe for disaster.

Crown · Post by **Crown** » 2005-05-09 05:28pm

Mark S wrote:I think one of Anakin's main problems was that he was indeed trying to repress his emotions instead of controlling them and dealing with them. I don't think he got the difference. I think he saw all the other Jedi as very calm and collected and just didn't get how they were doing it. That made the lure of the dark side even greater because he could finally let it all out. This would be partly Obi Wan's fault in his teaching but like I said, I really don't think Anakin 'got' that one was different from the other.

Give Anakin some credit. He seemed to be quite bright when interpreting with rules in order to get into some hot chicks pants;

PADMÉ
It must be difficult having sworn
your life to the Jedi... not being
able to visit the places you
like... or do the things you
like...

ANAKIN
Or be with the people I love.

PADMÉ
Are you allowed to love? I
thought that was forbidden for a
Jedi.

ANAKIN
Attachment is forbidden.
Possession is forbidden.
Compassion, which I would define
as unconditional love, is central
to a Jedi's life, so you might say
we're encouraged to love.

Never underestimate a young man with a hard on.

hypernova · Post by **hypernova** » 2005-05-09 07:09pm

well jedi knights arent aloud to wed, but jedi masters are considered able enough to be "clear headed" so to speak for marriage.

i believe that the jedi code was made by jedi long ago but not as legalistic, they meant for the future jedi to see the meaning not the words, thats why legalistic people usualy suck (lawyers, no offense if you are one).

The Jedi/Sith dichotomy is one of how your emotions influence your actions. The Jedi do not allow their passions to guide their decisions, whereas the Sith do. That's pretty much the difference.

excactly couldnt really say it better. except id replace the sith with darkjedi, the sith are somthing a bit beyound just the darkside, they use the darkside and make it into shall we say the "evil side", i hope you guys know what im getting at.[/quote]